How USAID's work in Kenya can inform broader foreign policy

In Peace and Security in Kenya: The USAID Approach, Galeeb Kachra examines the involvement of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in Kenya following the post-election violence in late 2007 and early 2008 that left the country on the brink of civil war. Through USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives, Kachra oversaw the Kenya Transition Initiative, which helped Kenyans establish a renewed judiciary, implement a new constitution, and grapple with longstanding land issues. As a country central to American foreign policy in Africa, Kachra argues, efforts to foster peace, reconciliation, and democratic political reform there had real benefits to US security objectives.

In examining USAID's role in a critical period in Kenyan history and drawing on his first-hand experiences, Kachra contends that "peace and security," a phrase commonly used through American government documents and foreign policy strategies, is ill-defined and does not account for how overseas development interventions contribute to American national security objectives. Arguing against compartmentalization and narrow understandings of what constitutes peace and security work, Kachra instead urges specialists and policymakers to adopt a broader, more holistic approach when considering strategic objectives. An insightful examination by a career development expert, Peace and Security in Kenya offers a fresh approach at a significant time in global affairs.